The Cereal Heart
by thegoodgirldoll
Summary: Draco spends an uncomfortable moment with Luna in The Kitchens while they both fish for a midnight snack, but what she reveals to him afterwards forces him to re-think who he is, and who he is becoming without love. Written for Dinoluvr's Challenge: Pick a Number, Get a Story! Please review!


Draco appraised the girl with a quirked eyebrow.

She was peculiar, that's for sure. Her eyes were hollow and seemed to stare straight into his soul; she made him rather uncomfortable. It felt as though her spirit was so shy, and so timid…That it made him feel so superior, and cruel. She was such an innocent girl- so carefree and loving. It was odd being around her; he felt as though he was the gasoline, ready to light the small fire that was being quenched somewhere deep inside of her. Oh, how he wondered what it would be like if that fire erupted- whom would she be then? What kind of girl would she turn into?

He shrugged off his thoughts; he had no time to think about her in such a way. He had come down for a midnight snack, nothing more, and she had just happened to stumble in after him, humming dazedly to herself and then going on and on about Nargles. He watched her in frustration, waiting for her to move out of the way of the fridge, but she never did. She stared into its icy depths, still humming, taking careful time in choosing what snack she wanted.

"Alright, Lovegood, can we please move a bit faster? I just came down for a bit of those muggle sweets in milk since my father doesn't allow them in our home, and now you are annoying me to the point that I am no longer hungry."

Luna turned to him with a smile on her face; no hurt was there- no anger.

"Sorry, Draco, sometimes I get a bit caught up in my singing."

She grabbed a carton of milk as well and then took a box of oat flakes off the floor.

"I do believe _cereal _is the word you are fishing for. Delightfully chewy or crunchy and then it becomes mushy in the milk- so sweet. My father has always loved cereal; he says my Mum did too, so we never went without it in my house. I was brought up more of a muggle than anything. Truthfully, the only time I saw magic firsthand was when my mother's accident happened.

Draco blinked rather rapidly a few times before shaking this off.

"Well that's all lovely," he pushed past her then and grabbed a bowl to pour his cereal in. he snatched the milk carton off the counter and some sugar packs and began mixing up his bowl.

"You know they don't need more sugar, Draco. They're very sweet, and sugar could ruin your teeth!"

Draco snorted and shot her a beautiful smile.

"You're telling _me _about teeth? My father spent five thousand galleons on these puppies and they're the pearliest whites in this whole castle- give your teeth facts to that mud-blood Granger."

Luna took in a deep breath and hopped off the table where she had been sitting eating her cereal and dangling her feet.

"You know, Draco, it isn't polite to speak of other people that way. You yourself could be consider a few rather nasty things."

"Such as?" Draco asked curiously.

"Nothing, Draco," she responded as she dumped her bowl into the sink. "I don't talk about other people."

With that last, smooth remark she exited the kitchens and left Draco following her with his eyes, mouth hanging open slightly.

_The nerve of that Loony Lovegood! How dare she insult his nobility? His personality? _

"My father is going to hear about this," Draco grumbled under his breath as he finished his cereal.

When he was finally done, Draco set his bowl down on top of Luna's, only to see that there was quite a bit of milk and cereal remaining. On closer inspection, though, he noticed that the tiny oats formed a picture that floated in the milk.

A small heart was lying below him, becoming soggy in the white substance. He furrowed his eyebrows, using his spoon to destroy the shape and then placing his bowl on top of hers, running some tap water over it. Perhaps that is why she had sat on the table when he had been standing near the counter; maybe she didn't want him to see.

But no! if she didn't want him to see, then she would have destroyed it before she left…She wanted him to know. grabbing his jacket, he ran out of the kitchens, hoping to find Luna in one of the long corridors before she made it back to her dormitory, but he ran out so fast that he tripped over someone who yelped out in pain. He glanced over his shoulder and saw her sitting there, beside the door, chuckling slightly as she rubbed her ankle. He stood quickly and offered a hand to help her up.

"_Luna! What in the world are you doing outside the door?!"_

_ "_Waiting for you, of course. I knew you'd come."

Draco laughed menacingly. "You are so manipulative. You _wanted _me to catch on, huh? You wanted me to finally realize how much you _fancy _me."

Now, there was a hint of arrogance in his voice, and it was Luna's turn to laugh, but her laugh was sweeter; calmer.

"The heart wasn't put there for you to think I like you, Draco. I've been watching you for so long, and I have come to the conclusion that not many people have made you hearts, so to speak. Hearts mean love, Draco- love means acceptance, and caring. It's something you need," she placed a hand over his heart. "So I just wanted to give you a dose of it."

With that, she skipped away, leaving him staring after her once more.

But this time, he didn't find a puzzle piece, or follow after her. He slumped against the wall and thought long and hard on her words.

* * *

**Author's Note: Written for Dinoluvr's Pick a Number, Get a Story! Challenge. I had Draco/Luna, in The Kitchens. Thus, this little fluffy oneshot was born. Hope you enjoyed, and please review! **

**Blessings,**

**Sarah.**


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